Flanging and seaming of sheet-metal receptacles



May 21, 1929.

c J. RHODES Filed Aug. 2, 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 1 C. J. RHODES May 21, i929.

FLANGING-NND SEAMING OF SHEET METAL RECEPTACLES Filed Aug. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inuenfir:

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FLANGING'AND SEAMING 0 SHEET .METAL RECEPTAGLES Filed Aug. 2, 1927 I5 Sheets-Sheet Marsha /Ma n him Patented May 21, 1929.

CHARLES JOSEPH RHODIS, 0F WAKEFIELD, ENGLAND.

UNITED STATES FLANGING AND SEAMING OF SHEET-METAL RECEPTACLES.

Application filed August 2, 1927, Serial No. 210,030, and in Great Britain January 8, 1927.

This invention relates to apparatus for automatically flanging and seaming sheet metal receptacles for example the attachment of an end or ends, or base or cover to sheet metal drums of cylindrical and other regular section and of that type which includes two headstocks or the like embodying axially aligned chucks or equivalents between which the work is held and rotated and there acted upon by suitably shaped tools conveniently patent was co-pending with the present application to which reference is directed and in which the various rollers for performing the operations of flanging, curling and flattening the metal joints are independent of each other, the fianging roller or rollers being located in the vertical axial plane of the machine and the curling and flattening rollers on opposite sides of said axial plane respectively but movable on paths converging toward said axial plane, all said rollers being operated by separate cams carried by shafts disposed on opposite sides of said axial plan According to the present invention the same general arrangen'ient of rollers or tools as just described may be retained as regards their relation to the axial plane of the machine and cam operation but allsaid rollers and their operating mechanism including cams, cam shafts etc. are positioned'overhead, or above the horizontal axis of the chucks which are placed low down or close to the bed or base of the machine. Such a construction presents the important advantage that scale or the like which may fall from the work during the fianging and seaming operations does not engage or foul any of the working parts but may be delivered directly to the ground or to the base of the machine from'which it may be readily removed.

According to the invention also means are provided for easily feedin the work between the chucks, such means comprising a tilting or movable skid or table arranged at one side and suitably curved or inclined downwards towards the ground so that the work may be rolled up and along same to a depression or recess below the axis of the chucks. This table or skid is adapted to be operated by a treadle or equivalent and intermediate connections to raise the work into proper position between the chucks, whereupon one or both of the latter is or are .adjusted or moved to grip the work between them. After completion of the operations the chuck is withdrawn allowing the work to be released and lowered again onto and by the table or skid. An inclined or curved portion of this table or skid, or a separate table, extends to the other side of the machine to facilitate removal of the finished receptacles.

Such removal of the finished receptacles from between the chucks is however assisted by stripping means designed to obviate any tendency of the drums to stick to the chucks. Such stripping meanssuitably comprise for eachchuck adouble armed lever having at the outer end of one arm a roller or equivalent adapted to engage the end of the receptacle, said levers being so interconnected and automatically operated at the required times that the oppositely disposed rollers each pertaining to a chuck are forced towards one another and strip the finished article from the chucks. By the provision of the feeding and stripping means described it will be apparent that rapidity of operation is promoted, thus increasing the output of the machine.

A further feature of the present invention consists in the operation of one of the chucks with its associated working rollers or tools by fluid pressure such as that of steam or compressed air whereby said parts are operated with great ease and which compensates for slight variations of length of the work which occurs in practice (assuming the chuck has been set for work of a given size). The movable head-stock with the chuck and rollers are adjustable longitudinally of the machine as a unit for work of different sizes and stock the piston of said cylinder being under control of a suitable hand lever and the piston rod coupled to the movable chuck-supporting slide or head by means of a toggle system or parallel lever motion. Such movement of the chuck slide may also be caused automatically, to operate the work stripping means above described.

In connection with the hanging rollers as sociated with opposing chucks there may be provided an adjustable tie rod for the purpose of taking up a certain amount of inward thrust or deflection on the Hanging roller spindles. The said tie rod is adjustable so that receptacle bodies of different lengths or depths can be accommodated and its presence Will provide for longer life of the flanging roller spindles.

Any appropriate mechanism'may be cmploycd for operating and controlling the moving parts of the machine, but the follow ing'are suitable arrangen'ien for a practicz'il embodiment. The machine may be driven from an electric motor throu 'h a friction clutch and brake manually cont iled as by a hand starting lever and on a n pin driv' shaft passing cent ally through, and e ciod by, the base of the machine, this shaft extending the whole length ofthe machine and at the opposite end driving a than o g mounted on the fixed frame or t operating two upper cam shafts opposite sides of the axis of the ma nine and carrying the cams for actuating the V2 ieus working rollers or tools. The st? ing lever is adjustably coupled to another clutch vice associated with. the camshafts so t at when the latter have perforn'ied a certain number of revolutions corresponding to a complete operation of the n'iachino the hand lever is actuated to stop the machine or alternatively this may be performed by manipulating the hand lever itself. The chuck control by means of the steam or ai r cylinde independentof the main drive control.

' Reference being drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved machine, Fig. 2 is a left hand end elevation with gearsremoi 'ed. Fig. 3 is a detail view of these gears. Fig. a is a section on line lt of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of part of the cam mechanism. 1 represents the frame of the machine comprising the base Ah two end members A A these two members being bridged by and secured to the capping member A*. A base member A and capping member A' are provided with slide ways a a respectively along which slide the two intermediate frame members A A.

In bearings in the base of the machine is mounted the shaft B carrying at its outer end a clutch B, the counterpart of which is car ried by a shaft B -carrying a spur wheel 1 1 n'ieshing with a pinion B on the shaft of the electric driving motor B". The shaft l3 also carries a chain wheel B geared by chain T3 to the chain wheel B on the shaft B of the non adjustable chuck G, this shaft also carrying the pinion B geared through the wheel made to. the annexed train B with a spur wheel B on the shaft 9 carried in bearings in the capping member A and whence motion is taken to the various cams for giving feed motion to the fianging and other wheels operating on the work as hereinafter described.

The adjustable chuck C and its associated fianging and other rollers are carried by the sliding f 'ame member A, the shaft C of the adjustable chuck C being mounted in a bearing C in the member A and extending through the men ibers A and A and carrying slidingly keyed upon it a chain wheel 0* mounted in the frame member A and geared by chain C to a chain wheel C keyed upon the shaft B.

Driving motion may thus be communicated to the two chucks C C from the motor irrespective of the position of chuck C The frame member A is adjustable to and from the end member A by the following means. To the frame member A is attached a screw threaded rod'D engaging a hand operatable nut D mounted revolvably in the member A but incapable of moving endwise therein. By revolving this nut the member A may be moved from or to the end frame member A and thus adjusted in position with re ard to the opposite end member A The frame member A is also movable to and from the member A and for ease of irriovementis preferably mounted on running wheels 0 c. The members A and A are connected by twotoggles each consisting of two arms 6 0 e 6 respectively, pivoted at 6* e e 0 respectively to the sides of members A A. The knees of the two toggles are connected by a link e One of the arms 6 of one of the-toggles isconnected to a lever e", the other arm of which is connected to a piston rod 6 This piston rod is suitably guided as at e and is operated by a piston in the cylinder 6 carried on the side of frame memher A; Motive fluid may be admitted to said cylinder 6 by means not shown the admission being regulated by a double acting valve operated by hand lever 0 The operation of the toggles e 0 causes the frame member A to be moved towards or from the frame member A according to the position of the hand lever 6 whereby the chucks C C are caused to engage or disengage the drum. 7

For conwnience in placing a drum in position to be engaged by the chucks a pair of curved bars 7" (see Fig. 2) are pivoted on a shaft 7 andextend from the front to be low the centre I line of the machine being curved down at the outer ends as at towards the floor.

Beneath the centre line. of the chucks'the bars f have a transverse depression 7. A drum rolled up the slope f onto the bars will rest temporarily in the depressions f". The shaft carries a pedal lever f By depressing this pedal, the operator will cause the drum held in the depressions f to be lifted into alignment with the chucks C G prior to the movement of member A. After the drum has been seamed a similar movement of the bars 7' f will permit the drum to be received again into the depression f when the member A recedes, and the seamed drum can then be rolled off the bars f' onto the fixed rails f and so discharged to the rear of the machine.

Mounted to operate on the drum held between the chucks C C are three rollers at each end, one set being carried by the fixed frame member A and the other by the movable framemember A. These two sets are similar and a description of one of them will therefore suffice. Referring to F ig. 4, g is a curling roller, a fianging roller and g a flattening roller. The rollers g are mounted in blocks 9 adapted to slide in guide.

ways g g radial to the axis of the chucks C C To the blocks g g are pivoted screws 9 g on which are threaded sleeves 9 9 to which are pivoted bell crank levers having rollers running on cams g 9 respectively (see Fig. 6). The rollers are held to the cams by spring 9 The cams 9 g are carried by shafts 9 g to which motion is given as hereinafter described. 7

Loose on each shaft g is also an arm g respectively having at its end a roller g g bearingagainst a cam'g 9 on the opposite shaft, 7

The arm g is connected by a link to a "sleeve threaded on a screw threaded rod 9 which carries the flanging roller 9 The arm is connected by a link to a sleeve 9 threaded on a screw threaded rod 9 which carries a supporting roller (Fig. 4). The arms g are held to the cams by springs gf' The shaft g is driven as aforesaid through the gear train B and the shaft 51 is driven from shaft 9 through gearing B B (Fig.

()n the transverse shaft 9 of this bevelled gearing is a cam g operating upon a lever 9 connected byrod to a bell crank lever 9 which is connected by link 9" to the releasing lever of clutch B so that on termination of each revolution of' shafts g g" the clutch B is opened and the drive of the motor B is disconnected. The bell crank lever can also be operated by hand lever on the shaft thereof.

1 Contiguous to each clutch C C is a releasing fork h 7L pivoted at if h respectively and having tails k connected to each other bv a rod It. On retirement of the frame mem-' her A the chuck C carried thereby will be 'moved to a position beyond that of the fork 71. which will then bear against the end of the drum and reacting with the fork h'will.

ensure the stripping of the drum from the chucks.

During the return orvupward movement of the flanging rollers g in the flanging operation the supporting rollers 9 are subjected to a considerable inward thrust which exerts a deflecting and bending stress on the carrier rods 9 for the supporting roller spindles and thus defiectin said rollers out of a vertical plane of rotation. To take up the stress and strain of this inward thrust on the supporting rollers the spindles on said rollers are provided with telescoping extensions arranged to permit the chucks to be brought into and out of receptacle supporting position, one of which extensions is adjustable to adapt said means for different lengths or depths of receptacle. For this purpose the spindles of one supporting roller has a threaded extension j having threaded connection with one end of a sleeve j of a length less than the spacebetween the spindles, and the spindle of the other supporting rollers is arranged with a similar extension threaded into one end of an adjusting sleeve and having a rod 9' threaded into the opposite end also of a length less than the space between the spindles,- the free end of which rod j slidably engages in the sleeve 9'. By. this arrangement the inward thrust on the supporting rollers is transmitted through the spindles thereof to the telescoping extensions secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In apparatus for automatically flanging and seaming the heads and bodies of sheet metal receptacles, the combination of a frame comprising a base member, two end members and a capping member, one of said end members forming a head stock, a tail stock mov able in said frame between the base and cap ping member, chucks, shafts for said chucks carried by said head stock and tail stock respectively, 'means for rotating said chucks, two sets each comprising a supporting roller, a curling roller and a flanging roller carried b said head stock andtail stock respectively above the axis of the chucks, and means carried by the capping member for operating said rollers.

2. In apparatus for automatically flanging and seaming the heads and bodies of sheetmetal receptacles, the combination of a frame comprising a base member, two end members and a capping member, one of said end mem bers forming a head stock, a tail stock movable in said frame between the base and capping member, chucks, shafts for said chucks carried by said head stock and tail stock by said head stock and tail stock respectively above the axis of. the chucks and shafts carried by the capping member for operatingsaid rollers, a shaft in the base member, means for rotating the latter shaft, and gearing connecting the shaft in the base with the shafts in the capping member and the shafts of the chucks.

3. In apparatus for automatically flangin g and seaming the heads and bodies of sheet metal receptacles, the combination of a frame comprising a base member, two end members and a capping member, one of said end members forming a head stock, a tail stock movable in said frame between the base and capping member, chucks, shafts for said chucks carried by said head stock and tail stock respectively, means for rotating said chucks, two sets each comprising a supporting roller a curling roller, and a flanging roller car- 'ried by said head stock and tail stock respectively above the axis of the chucks, means carried by the capping member for operating said rollers, a movable frame member adjustable in distance from one of the end frame members, toggles connecting said movable frame member and tail stock, and fluid operated mechanism for moving the tail stock to and from said. movable frame member. I

' 4. In apparatus for automatically flanc'in and seaming the heads and bodies of sneet metal receptacles, the combination'of-a frame comprising a base member, two end mem bers and a capping member, one of said end members forming a head stock, a tail stock movable in said frame between the base and capping member, chucks, shafts for said chucks carried by said head stock and tail stock respectively, means for rotating said. chucks, two sets of rollers each set comprising a supporting roller, a curling roller and a fianging roller carried by said head stock and tail stock respectively above the axis of the chucks, means carried by the capping member for operating said rollers, and means to release the drum from the chucks as they recede from one another.

5. In apparatus for automatlcally flanging and seaming the heads and bodies of sheet metal'receptacles, the combination of a frame comprising a base member, two end members and a capping member, one of said end members forming a head stock, a tail stock movable in said frame between the base and cap ping member, chucks, shafts for said chucks carried by said head stock and tail stock respectively, means for rotating said chucks,

two sets of rollers each set comprising a supporting roller, a curling roller and a flanging roller carried by said head stock and tail stock respectively above the axis of the chucks, means carried by the capping member for operating said rollers, and levers pivoted on said base member for lifting and lowering a drum with respect to the chucks.

6. In apparatus for automatically flanging and seaming the heads and bodies of sheet respectively above the axis of the chucks,

means carried by the capping member for op erating said rollers, bars pivoted on said base member having depression-s to receive a drum and formed as ramps, and a pedal for operating said bars for lifting and lowering a drum with respect to the chucks.

7 In apparatus for automatically flanging and scanning the heads and bodies of sheet metal receptacles, the combination of a frame comprising a base member, two end members and a capping member, one of said end members forming a head stock, a tail stock movable in said frame between the base and capping member, chucks, shafts for said chucks carried by said head stock and tail stockrespectively, means for rotating said chucks, two sets of rollers each set comprising a supporting roller, a curling roller and a flanging roller carried by said head stock and tail stock respectively above the axis of the chucks, shafts carried by the capping member for operating said rollers, a shaft in the base member, a clutch, means for rotating the shaft in the base member through said clutch, gearing connecting the shaft in the. base member with the shafts in the capping member and the chuck shafts respectively, automatic disengaging gear for said clutch operatable by the shafting in the capping member, hand operatable striking gear for said clutch, a movable frame member admstable 1n distance from one of the end frame members, toggles c0nnecting said movable frame member and tail able in said frame between the base and capping inember, chucks, shafts for said chucks carried by said head stock and tail stock respectively, means for rotating said chucks, rollers carried. by said head stock and tail stock respectively and movable towards the axis of said chuck from positions above the axis of the chucks, and means carried by the capping member for operating said rollers.

9. In apparatus for automatically flanging and seaming the heads and bodies of sheet metal receptacles, the combination of a frame comprising a base member, two end members and a capping member, one of said end members forming a head stock, a tail stock movable in said frame between the base and capping member, chucks, shafts for said chucks carried by said head stock and tail stock respectively, means for rotating said chucks, rollers carried by said head stock and tail stock respectively and movable towards the axis of said chuck from positions above the axis of the chucks, shafts carried by the capping member for operating said rollers, a shaft in the base member, caring connecting the shaft in the base member with the shafts in thecapping member and with the chuck shafts.

10. In apparatus for automatically flanging and seaming the heads and bodies of sheet metal receptacles, the combination of a frame comprising a base member, two end members anda capping member, one of said end members forming a head stock, a tail stock movable in said frame between the base and capping member, chucks, shafts for said chucks carried by said head stock and tail stock respectively, means for rotating said chucks, supporting rollers movable downwardly in the vertical plane of the chuck centres, curling rollers and flanging rollers movable obliquely downwardly towards the axis of the chucks, and means carried by the capping member for operating said rollers.

11. In apparatus for automatically flanging and seaming the heads and bodies of sheet metal receptacles, the combination of a frame comprising a base member, two end members and a capping member, one of said end members forming a head stock, a tail stock movable in said frame between the base and capping member, chucks, shafts for said chucks carried by said head stock and tail stock respectively, means for rotating said chucks, supporting rollers movable downwardly in the vertical plane of the chuck centres, curling rollers and flanging rollers movable obliquely downwardly towards the axis of the chucks, shafts carried by the capping member for operating said rollers, a shaft in the base member, a clutch, means for rotating the shaft .through said clutch, gearing connecting the shaft in the base with the shafts in the capping member, and automatic disengaging gear for said clutch operatable by the shafting in the capping member. 7 r v 12. In apparatus for automatically flanging and seaming the heads and bodies of sheet metal receptacles, the combination of a frame comprising a base member, two end members and a capping member, one of said end members forming a head stock, a tail sheet metal receptacles, the combination of a frame comprising a base member, two end members and a capping member, one of said end members forming a headstock, a tail stock movable in said frame between the base and capping member, chucks, shafts for said chucks carried by said head stock and tail stock respectively, means for rotating said chucks, two sets of rollers each comprising a supporting roller, a curling roller and a fianging roller carried by said head stock 7 and tail stock respectively above the axis of the chucks and movable downwardly with respect to the chucks, shafts carried by the capping member for operating said rollers, a shaft in the base member, a clutch, means for rotating the shaft through said clutch, gearing connecting'the shaft in the base with the shafts in the capping member, automatic disengaging gear for said clutch o eratab'le by the shaft-ing in the capping memiier, hand operat-able striking gear for said clutch, a. movable frame member adjustable in distance from one of the end frame'members, toggles connecting said movable frame member and tail stock, means for moving the tail stock to and from said movable frame member, bars pivoted on said base member having depressions to receive a drum and formed as ramps, a pedal for operating said bars for lifting and lowering a drum with respect to the chucks, and drum releasing gear operative to detach the drum from the chucks as the chucks recede from one another.

14. In apparatus for securing closures to sheet metal. receptacles, rotatable chucks one of which chucks is movable relative to the other for releasably supporting a receptacle body with a flanged disk in the ends thereof,

rollers arranged above the axis of the chucks for flanging laterally the contiguous portions of the flange of the closure disks and receptacle end, curling and flattening said flanged portions, and means arranged above .said rollers. for reciprocating said rollers in from the axis of a direction toward and away the chucks.

15. In. apparatus for securing closures to sheet metal receptacles as claimed in claim 14, a support for a receptacle below the axis of the chucks and operative to position a receptacle relative to and for the engagement of the chucks and receive a receptacle from fixed head stock, chucks rotatably carried by said stocks to support a receptacle body with flanged disks in the ends thereof, and flurd pressure operated means to move the tall stock relative to the head stock.

17. Apparatus for securing closures to sheet metal receptacles as claimed in claim 16, wherein the fluid pressure operated means to move the tail stock comprises toggle links connected with said tail stock and a fixed part, fluid pressure cylinders, and pistons insald cylinders connected with the toggle links.

18. In apparatus for securingclosures to sheet metal receptacles, a pair of rotatable axially arranged chucks one of which chucks is movable axially relative to the other for releasably supporting a receptacle body with flanged disks in the ends with the flanges thereof and receptacle ends in contiguous re lation, rollers operative to flange the disk flanges and contiguous receptacle ends laterally, curl and flatten such flanged portions, and means to release the receptacle from the chucks as one recedes from the other.

19. In apparatus for securing closures to sheet metal bodies, a pair of rotatable axially arranged chucks for releasably supporting a receptacle body with flanged disks in the ends, one of which chucks is axially movable toward and away from the other chuck, adjustable means for positioning one chuck relative to the other, rollers operative to laterally flange the disk flanges and contiguous receptacle ends, curl and flatten said laterally flanged portions, sa1d rollers being arranged above and havlng movement in a direction toward and away from the axis of the chucks, and a receptacle support below the axis of the chucks and operative to position a receptacle thereon for engagement by the chucks and to receive a receptacle from the chucks.

20. In apparatus for securing closures to receptacle bodies, a frame embodying a pair of opposed members one of which is fixed and arranged with a head stock, and the other of said members adjustable toward and away from the fixed member, and an intermediate member carrying a tail stock in opposed relation to the head stock, said intermediate member being movable toward and away from the head stock carrying member.

21. In apparatus as claimed in claim 20, means carried by the adjustable frame member and connected with the tail stock carrying member operative to move said latter member toward and away from the head stock carrying member.

22. In apparatus for securing closures to receptacle bodies, a frame embodying a base, a pair of opposed end members, and a cap member secured to the end members in opposed relation to the base, a head stock carried by one of the end members, a member intermediate the end members and mounted on the base and cap member to have adjustment longitudinally thereof intermediate the end members, a member adjustably mounted between the base and cap member between the intermediate and head stock carrying frame members, and a tail stock carried by said latter member. 7 t.

23. In apparatus for securing closures in the end of receptacle bodies asclaimed in claim 25, wherein the inwardly directed members associated with the spindles of the supporting rollers to take up lateral inward thrust on the rollers comprises a rod connected to the spindle of one of the supporting rollers and a sleeve connected with the spindle of the other roller for slidable engagement of the rod, and said rod and sleeve being of a length less than the space between the roller carrying spindles, and one being adjustable to accommodate said thrust take up means to receptacles of different length.

24. In apparatus for securing flanged closures to the ends of receptacle bodies, a pair of frame members carrying chucks for supporting a receptacle body with closures inserted in the ends thereof, one of which members is fixed and the other member movable toward and away from the fixed member, means operative to move the movable member toward and away from the vfixed member,

flanging, supporting, curling and flattening rollers carried by each of said frame members above the axis of the chucks, actuating shafts for said rollers rotatably carried by said frame members and relative to which the movable frame member is longitudinally movable, and means associated with'the spindles of the supporting rollers to take up the stress and strain of the inward thrust on the supporting rollers during the flanging operation. v V V 1 25. In apparatus for securing closures in the ends of receptacle bodies, a fixed frame member rotatably carrying a receptacle supporting chuck, a frame member movable toward and away from the fixed frame member and rotatably carrying a receptacle supporting chuck co-axially of the chuck carried by the fixed frame member,

means operative to move the movable frame member and chuck carried thereby toward and away from the fixed frame member, flanging and supporting'rollers supported by said frame members to have movement in the direction of the plane of rotation of said rollers, and, inwardly directed members associated with the spindles of the supporting rollers arranged to take up the stress and strain of the inward lateral thrust on the supsaid rollers, and a rod adjustably connectporting rollers during the flanging operation. ed with the spindle of the other supporting 10 26 Apparatus for securing closures in the roller slidably engaging in the sleeve and ends of receptacle bodies as claimed in claim adapted for sliding movement relative to each 5 25, wherein the means for taking up the stress other.

and strain of the thrust on the supporting In witn ss whereof I have signed this rollers comprises a sleeve connected with the specification.

threaded extension of the spindle of one of CHARLES JOSEPH RHODES. 

